Roller printer



' Feb. 23, 1965 c. AVGERINOS ROLLER PRINTER Filed Sept. 21, 1962 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. cosrAs AVGEk/A/OS 1/7 #4 BY Z MAM C. AVGERINOS ROLLER PRINTER Feb. 23, 1965 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Sept. 21, 1962 INVENTOR. (057745 A VG'fAl/VOS ATTORNEY Feb. 23, 1965 c. AVGERINOS 3,170,396

ROLLER PRINTER ll/MW INVENTOR.

'2. Am 7M Feb. 23, 1965 c. AVGERINOS 3,170,396

ROLLER PRINTER Filed Sept. 21. 1962 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 FIE/Z I76 0. 51 55! 023 as 169 001365 01095\ JOHN DOE 113 MAIN ST. ANY TOWN ,N-Y.

MOTOR SERVICE 0- s ssg gAuwm c 023 85169 N I H Y W NV JOHN 002 115 MAIN $1- 7.10 62 ANYTOWN.N-Y-

GAS REG 6mg PR 1IGALS .35 545 on. 5GTS@ .60 3.00

H LUBRICATION 2.00 TOTAL 5 '1 035 +73 M2 605774 5 A VEERl/VOS BY M MZQWQ ATTOR/Vf) 3,170,396 ROLLER PTER Costas Avgerinos, Wilton, Comm, assignor to Farrington Manufacturing Company, pringfield, Va, a corporation of Massachusetts Filed Sept. 21, 1962, Ser. No. 225,280 20 Claims. (U. 101-269) This invention relates generally to printing devices employing raised type faces and a pressure applying member for effecting imprint on a record medium disposed therebetween and has more particular reference to devices of this class wherein the pressure applying member is circular in form and achieves its function by rolling action relative to the type faces.

The invention is disclosed herein in an embodiment adapted for use in retail sales establishmenta'such as gasoline stations or the like, for printing on a sales slip or invoice the data derived from a customers credit card. In credit systems now commonly being practiced, each credit customer is provided with a credit card, which may be formed of metal or plastic material, in which pertinent customer identification data, such as name, address, and account number, is embossed on the card so as to be reproduceable mechanically by a machine of the type herein disclosed. Machines of this class are customarily portable and hand operated for reasons of economy and accessibility so as to be useable under many varying conditions and at locations removed from a power source. In designing machines of this class for manual operation difficulties have arisen in designing a machine which would produce a satisfactory quality of imprint on the sales invoice such as would enable the invoice to be machine read and handled by mechanized data processing equipment.

With machines or devices of this class it can readily be understood that the quality of the imprint is directly dependent on the amount of pressure applied to transfer the image of embossed or raised-characters to the sales or print receiving record. Since it is desirable that devices of this class be portable, the application of adequate pressure for achieving a suitable machine readable character imprint creates a problem because any increase in pressure renders the device correspondingly more difficult to manually operate. 7

The device according to the instant invention avoids the aforementioned problem by provision of means which operate to transfer the image of embossed characters to a print receiving medium through a novel principle which improves print quality without resort to a corresponding increase in printing pressure. brought about by giving the pressure applying means a skidding or rubbing action which, it has been found, contributes greatly to the transfer of the inking or marking medium to the print receiving medium. According to the invention, the pressure applying means, in the form of a roller, while traversing the embossed type faces is adapted to not only apply pressure to the type faces but also to provide a predetermined amount of skidding action against the print receiving medium, in the present instance a sales invoice, whereby the quality of the imprint on the sales invoice is improved, eliminating the need for excessive pressure which would render the device objectionally awkward and difficult to manipulate.

The machine according to the instant invention, in addition to reproducing the embossed image of a credit card onto a sales invoice, also is adapted to reproduce manually selectable data on the sales invoice under the control of type bars which may be set by the operator to record particulars, such as total purchase amount in any given transaction. In addition, data may be preset'in the rnachine, to be reproduced on a sales invoice, which will identify the seller and also, if desired, the date of the sales This improvement is United States Patent transaction. Furthermore, interlocking features are provided which prevent any change of the manual set-up when the machine is in condition for printing and which automatically restores the manually set type bars'when the machine is returned to non-print condition.'

It is therefore an object of the invention to improve the print quality of a manually operated printing machine.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a printing mechanism in which a lesser amount of force is required to achieve a suitable print quality. 1

It is a further object of the invention to provide in an imprinting mechanism of the character described improved means manually settable to effect a selected printing im print.

It is a further object of the invention to provide, in a device having means manually settable for controlling character imprint, an interlocking mechanism for locking up the manually settable means when the machine is in condition for printing.

Further objects of the invention'together with the features contributing thereto and advantages resulting therefrom will be apparent from the following description when read in conjunction with the drawing wherein:

FIG. 1 is a plan view of the machine.

FIG. 2 is a sectional View of the print roller housing 7 taken along line 22 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a plan View of the machine with the print roller housing removed to expose the print bed. I

FIG. 4 is a sectional view of the machine taken along the line 44 of FIGS. 1 and 3.

FIG. 5 is a sectional view of the print roller housing taken along line 5-5 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 6 is a sectional View of the machine taken along the line 66 of FIG. 4.

FIG. 7 is a sectional view of the print bed taken along the'line 77 of FIG. 3. i

FIG. 8 is a detail View in perspective of the print roller as viewed from the bottom of the machine.

FIG. 9 is a plan view of the print bed showing a credit card and sales invoice thereon in print position.

FIG. 10 is a view of a sales invoice such as might be imprinted by operation of the machine.

'FIG. 11 is a plan View of a credit card employed in the machine for preparing the sales invoice shown in FIG. 10.

FIG. 12 is a sectional view of the type bar restoring mechanism taken along line 1212 of FIG. 3.

FIG. 13 is a sectional view taken along line 13-43 of FIG. 12. p

Referring now to the drawing, the machine can be seen to be comprised of two main assemblies which include a base section '10 and a pivotally connected top section 11. The base section it is contained within an inverted boxlike frame housing formed'to define an upper horizontally disposed frame panel 12 supportedby front, rear, right, and left hand side walls 12a, 12b, 12c, and 12a, respectively. The top section 11 of the machine is similarly housed in an inverted box-like frame member formed to define a top cover panel 13 with front, rear, and side walls 13a, 13b, 13c, and 13d, respectively. A frame plate 14 secured to the under side of the panel 12 serves to render the base section more rigid.

Mounted within the base section 10 of the machine are a plurality of differentially settable type carries in the form of slide bars 15, 16, see FIGS. 3 and 4, each of which carries along its upper rearward edge a type head 17 formed to present a row of type facesfor each, of the ten Arabic numeral characters. The type bars are supported in a subassembly which includes a pairof side frame plates 18, 19 which are suitably secured to the under side of the base section frame panel 12 and frame plate 14. Cross rods 21, 22 secured at their ends to the frame plates l8, l9 serve to support the type barslS, 16 which are formed with suitably shaped elongate slots 23, 24, respectively, embracing the support rods 21, 22 and enabling the type bars to be set at a desired print position. Also extending between the frame plates 18, 19, are transverse comb bars 25, 26 which maintain the type bars in properly spaced lateral relationship.

The type bars 16, as will be hereinafter more fully explained, are adapted to be differentially set to record each sales transaction as contrasted from the type bars which are adapted to record data which does not change for each transaction. Accordingly, the type bars 16 are formed at their forward ends with keystems 27 projecting upwardly through slots 28 formed in the base section panel 12, said stems being bent in offset relation to each other and fitted with suitably formed keys 29 to enable the type bars to be easily and conveniently set by the operator of the machine. Each of the type bars 16 also carries a visually readable character identification head 31 one character face of which is exposed to the operator of the machine through a window 32 cut out of the panel 12 so as to facilitate and indicate to the operator the setting of the respective type bars for a particular recording transaction. The type bars 15 are provided for the purpose of recording any desired data which may be necessary for the accounting system being employed such as, for example, the dealer code number. Since this is data which remains constant for all transcations, the type bars 15 are adapted to be preset and locked in position by any suitable means, not shown, and therefore are not provided with corresponding means for enabling operator manipulation exteriorly from the keyboard of the machine.

As best seen in FIG. 4, associated with each of the type bars 16 is a detent lever 35 adapted to engage detent teeth 36 formed on the bottom edge of the type bars, said detent levers being .pivotally mounted on a cross rod 37 and maintained in suitable aligned relationship with the type bars by transverse comb bars 38, 39, the members 37, 38, and 39 being suitably secured to the type bar assembly frame plates 18, 19. The levers 35 are yieldably biased into detent engagement with their respective type bars by means of springs 4-1 suitably anchored to the machine frame. Springs 42 serve to restore the type bars when the detent levers are rocked to a releasing position as hereinafter to be described. It will of course be understood that the portion of the base section frame plate 14 and panel 12 which would overlie the type heads 17 is removed so as to form a cutout 41 thereby enabling the type faces on the type head to make printing contact with a print receiving medium when placed in the print bed of the machine to lie over said type heads.

FIG. 10 illustrates a specimen sales invoice form 51 made out to record a transaction involving the sale of seventeen gallons of primum gasoline, five quarts of oil, and a lubrication service charge totaling in all the amount of $10.95. It will of course be understood that the information shown in the lower portion of the sales invoice -is either pre-printed on the invoice form or it is filled in by the sales attendant to provide a record of the sales or services purchased. The information shown in the upper portion of the sales invoice constitutes data imprinted by operation of the machine, which data includes customer identification by name, address, and account number (023 85 169 in the present example) as reproduced from the customer credit card 55 shown in FIG. 11 in addition to the data indicating the dealer code number (001365 in the present example) and the total amount of sale as reproduced from the type bars of the instant machine, heretofore described. The latter two items along with the customers account number are printed in line across the top of the form. The sales invoice is preferably a carbon pack form providing at least a tissue copy 52 and a card stock copy 53 of the invoice which are interleaved with a sheet 54 containing a mark transfer medium on both surfaces thereof, such as carbon or the like, so as to reproduce a printed image on both of the sales invoice copies 52, 53 when pressed against the embossed characters of the credit card and the type faces on the type bars in the manner hereinafter to be described.

FIG. 9 best illustrates the relative disposition of the credit card 55 and the sales invoice forms 51 when placed in printing position in the machine with the upper left hand portion of the invoice form overlying the embossed characters in the lower portion of the credit card. For supporting the credit card 55, an anvil plate 61 mounted on a pad 62 of compressible material in a cut-away portion of the frame panel 12 is secured by screws to the frame plate 14, see FIGS. 3 and 7, thereby enabling the surface plane of the anvil to be precisely adjusted, by proper tightening of the screws against the resistance of pad 62, relative to the surface plane of the type heads 17 for the purpose of maintaining print uniformity as will be hereinafter more apparent. Threaded into the rear edge of the anvil 61 are flat headed screws 63 the heads of which provide a limit stop for the rear edge of the credit card, and threaded into one side of the anvil is a screw 64 adapted to engage and limit a side edge of the credit card, the screws thereby providing means for precisely locating the credit card in print position.

In the event that it is desired to have the machine produce a printed record identifying by name and address the sales dealer this may be accomplished by providing a suitably embossed or engraved plate 71 and securing same in any suitable manner to the anvil 61 along its bottom edge to thereby cause a reproduction of this information on the sales invoice. Similarly, if it is desired to have the machine print the date of the transaction, a set of print wheels 75 carrying numeral type faces and adapted for manual setting may be secured to the frame panel 12 within the print bed to thereby cause an imprint of the date when the machine is operated as hereinafter described. The sales invoice 51 is placed in the machine at a print position in which it overlies the embossed characters on the credit card 55, the dealer identification print plate 71, the date wheels 75 and the type heads 17 carried by the type bars 15, 16. In order to properly position the sales invoice at printing position, the frame panel 12 is provided with a raised stud 78 serving as a limit stop for one side edge of the sales invoice. A pair of leaf springs secured to the bottom surface of plate 14 and bent upright to define yieldable guide fingers 79 serve as limit stops for the bottom edge of the sales invoice thereby providing means in cooperation with stud 78 for accurately aligning or registering the sales invoice at printing position in the print bed.

Supported and housed within the top section 11 oh the machine is the means for applying suitable pressure against the print receiving areas of the sales invoice so as to effect transfer of the carbon imprint onto the invoice form sheets 52, 53. Said means include a pressure roller 3:"; configurated in a manner best seen in FIG. 8 and mounted on a shaft 86. The roller is mounted concentrically with the shaft and is formed with its opposite end sections a, 85b slightly reduced in diameter from that of its central section 850. One side of the central section 850 of the roller is cut away along the line of a chord such as at 8511 leaving remaining a relatively narrow segment 352 which is disposed to register 'with the line of type faces of the respective type heads 17 which have been set to print in the first line of the invoice. The shaft 86 is journaled near its rearward end in a flanged bearing block 87 slide fitted in a slotted cutout 88 lying parallel to the print bed and formed in the rear wall 13b of the roller housing, see FIGS. 4 and 5. The opposite or front end of the shaft 86 is likewise journaled in a flanged bearing block 89 slide fitted in a similar slotted cutout 91 formed in the front wall 13a of the roller housing. Each of said cutouts is enclosed by a cover plate 90. Secured to the rear most end of the shaft 86 by a hub 92 is a handle 93 carrying a knob 94, see also FIGS. land 2, by which the shaft may be manually rotated to cause the roller to traverse the print bed in the manner now to be described.

Wrapped in opposite directions about each diametrically reduced end 85a, 85b of the pressure roller 85 are a pair of flexible bands 95, 96 which may be made out of any suitable non-stretching material, preferably a metal such as berylium copper, one end of each of the straps or hands 95, 96 being secured to the roller by any suitable means such as the anchoring slit 97, see FIG. 5. The other end of each of the bands 95, 96 is held by the jaws of a clamp 98 which by means of screws 99 threaded therein and anchored in the side walls 13c, 13d of the roller housing 11 enable the bands to be maintained at a properly adjusted tension. lt will be apparent that .as the handle-93 is manually operated to rotate the shaft 86 and pressure roller 85, mounted thereon, dependingupon the direction of rotation, one set of the bands 95 or 96 will wind around the drum while the other set unwinds in complementary fashion restraining the axis of the roller to linear travel of an extent determined by the diameter of roller sections 85a, 85b and along a path parallel to the print bed as defined by the bearing guide slots 88, 91 in the front and rear walls of the housing as heretofore described. As the roller is thus caused to traverse the print bed between the full and broken line positions of FIG. 5, the slightly raised surface of the central section 85c of the roller is moved rotatively a greater extent than the linear travel of its axis. Thus the roller while acting to press the sales invoice against the embossed credit card and other type faces disposed within the print bed as heretofore described, at the same time traverses the print bed in a skidding manner to apply a rubbing contact to the sales invoice. This rubbing actiorrresults from forming the 105. The rod is journaled in bearings 106 suitably secured to the base section frame, one each being carried by the frame plates 18, 19. A torsion spring 107 anchored at one end in one of the bearings 106 and at the other end in a collar 108 fast on the rod biases the roller housing towards an open position.

The latching means, as can best be seen in FIG. 2, includes a pair of bellcrank levers 111 pivotally mounted on studs 112 projecting from the interior surface of the front wall 13a of the roller housing, not shown in FIG. 2. Thevertical arm of each bellcrank is formed at its lower extremity with a latching nose adapted to engage with the conical shaped tip 113 of a threaded stud or screw 114. Each screw 114 is threaded into a socket member central section 85c of the pressure roller with a slightly larger diameter than that of the end sections 85a, 85b upon which the bands are wound. Since the bands 95, 96 overlie the invoice form they also act to firmly retain it in the print bed during roller movement. The effect of the rubbing action of the print roller has been found to greatly increase the transfer ofcarbon from the marking medium sheet 54 to the sales invoice form sheets 52, 53 thereby producing a much clearer and more legible character imprint. Accordingly, since the rubbing action of the pressure roller tends to provide a much clearer and denser character imprint it will be readily realized that the amount of pressure required to be applied by the roller against the sales invoice to achieve a satisfactory imprint may be less than would be required by devices operating on other principles, thus rendering the instant device easier to operate. The cutout area 35d of the pressure roller is located in position to register during roller rotation with the type heads 17 of the type bars 15, 16. The width of the cutout is such as to prevent the roller from bearing on all type faces other than the line of type faces set in printing position, which latterline of type faces are caused to print urider the pressure applied by the relatively narrow segment 85a of the pressure roller. Handle rotation is limited by stops 101 of slightly bendable material socured to the rear wall of the roller housing, said stops being formed with a bevel surfaced shoulder serving as a yieldable detent for the handle.

As heretofore mentioned, the print roller housing comprising the upper section 11 of the machine is pivotally joined to the base section 10. This permits the roller housing to be swung open and thereby provide access to the print bed. The amount of printing pressure applied by the roller is' predetermined by adjustably settable latching means for securing the roller housing to the base section in closed position. The pivotal connection between the two sections comprises angle brackets 103, see FIG. 1, secured to the rear wall 13b of the roller housing and supporting hubs 104 fixed on a pivotal rod cut away along its front bottom edge to form a camming shoulder 11% bearing on the horizontal arms of the bellcrank levers 111. The machine is in condition for a printing operation when the roller housing is latched in the closed position as shown in FIG. 2. When in this position, manual depression of the release bar 117 will operate to rock both bellcrank levers 111 about their pivots so as to swing the latching noses thereon clear of the tips 113 of the associated screws 114 thereby enabling the roller housing to swing open under the influence of the torsion. spring 197, heretofore described. When the roller housing is manually swung from the open to closed position, the latching noses of the bellcrank levers 111 are cammed outwardly by the conical surface of the screw tips 113, and as the roller housing attains fully closed position the latching noses snap under the lip of the screws to securely latch the housing in the closed position. It will be apparent that by rotation of screw 114 the level of the catch lip formed thereon may be precisely and easily adjusted, the adjustment being maintained by a lock nut 119 carried by the screw. The provision of the means just described for precisely adjusting the latching mechanism has an important bearing on the results obtained by the machine, since the adjustment deter.- mines the amount of pressure the roller exerts on the type faces in the print bed.

The machine may also be provided, if desired, with interlocking features for locking up the type bars in the selected setting when the roller housing is closed to place the machine in condition for a printing operation and for automatically restoring the type bars to their normal zero setting when the roller. housing is opened after the completion of the printing operation. The mechanism for 'lockingup the type bars can best be seen in FIGS. 4 and 6 and includes a pair of plungers 121 slide fitted in bores formed in the frame members 12, 14 in register with the bottom edge of the rear wall 13b of the roller housing 11. The bottom surface of each plunger bears on the rearwardly projecting bent-over arm of a rockable lever 122 suspended from a pivot stud 123 carried by each of the frame plates 17, 1b. The forwardly projecting arms of the levers 122 support therebetween a lock-up bail 124 which projects through slotted openings in the frame plates 18, 19 and underlies the detent levers 35 associated with each of the type bars 16. When the print roller be noted that this mechanism also has the effect of assuring the correct alignment of the type bars in their set position by virtue of the detent levers being firmly retained in engagement with the detent teeth of the type bars. When the print roller housing is in the open position the rear wall 13b is clear of the plungers 121 which permits the lever 122 to be rocked in a counterclockwise direction to unlock the detent levers 35 and enable the type bars 16 to be restored or reset in another print setting.

The mechanism for automatically restoring the type bars when the roller housing is swung open can best be seen in FIGS. 12 and 13 and includes a pair of bellcranks 131 secured to opposite ends of a rock shaft 132 extending between and journaled in the frame plates 18, 19. One of the bellcranks 131 is formed with an offset upwardly extending arm 133 projecting through a slotted opening in the frame members 14, 12 and lying directly behind a stud 134 carried by the right hand roller housing pivot bracket 1&3. Each of the-bellcranks 131 carries a pawl 135 yieldably biased by a spring 136 into limiting engagement with the bellcrank which in turn is biased in a counterclockwise direction by a spring 137. Mounted near the bottom of the frame plates 18, 19 is a slidable bail 141 formed as its forward end with lateral projections 142 riding is slotted openings in the frame plates 19 and formed at its rearward end with upturned ears 143 each carrying one end of a support rod 144 also guided for sliding movement in slotted openings in the frame plates 18, 19. Each of the ears 143 is formed with an outwardly turned lip 145 disposed for engagement by the nose of pawl 1.35 when the bellcrank 131 is rocked in a clockwise direction. The bellcranks are rocked in a clockwise direction, when the print roller housing is opened, through the action of the stud 134- bearing against the upright arm 133, whereupon the noses of pawls 135 strike against the cars 1 35 to push the bail 141 in a forwardly direction. The forward edge of the bail 141 abuts against the depending legs of the detent levers 35 so that when the bail is driven in a forwardly direction the detent levers are rocked clockwise thereby releasing the type bars for spring return to their normal or zero setting. The extent of rocking imparted to the bellcranks 131 is sufficient to cause the pawls 135 to swing clear beyond contact with ears 143 as the roller housing reaches a fully open position which frees the bail 141 and thereby releases the detent levers into detent engagement with the type bars after they have been restored. On the return counterclockwise rocking of the bellcranks 131 when the roller housing is swung to the closed position the noses of paWls 135 wipe idly over the ears 145 by virtue of the compliance afforded by the springs 136.

The use of the machine will ordinarily involve the following sequence of operations. When the machine is not in use and at rest between printing operations the pressure roller housing 11 will normally be open placing the machine in a non-print condition. At the completion of a sales transaction the details thereof are entered by the sales attendant on the sales invoice form 51 whereupon the invoice form together with the customers credit card 55 are placed in the print bed of the machine with the invoice form overlying the credit card in the positions as shown in FIG. 9. The operator sets the type bars 16, by manipulation of the keys 29, for recording the total sales price. The roller housing 11 is then manually lowered into its closed position in latching engagement with the base section to place the machine in print condition, which action automatically locks up the type bars 16. The attendant now rotates the handle 93 from one limit position to the other which causes the pressure roller dition, which action momentarily disables the'type bar detent pawls 35 enabling the type bars to restore to their normal or zero setting. The credit card and sales invoice form are then removed from the print bed placing the machine in readiness for the next sales transaction. The credit card is returned to the customer who is also given the customers tissue copy 52 of the invoice form after placing his endorsement thereon. The card stock copy 53 of the sales invoice is retained by the sales attendant for subsequent billing and accounting procedures. A pocket 148, see FIGS. 1 and 3, is provided in the machine for convenient storage of completed invoice forms. A further pocket, not shown, but disposed behind pocket 148 and opening into the side wall 12b of the base section may be provided as a means for conveniently storing blank invoice forms.

While there has been shown and described what is believed to be a preferred embodiment of the invention, it will of course be understood that changes in form could be made without departing from the spirit of the invention, and it is therefore intended that the invention be not limited to the exact form herein shown and described nor to anything less than the whole of the invention as hereinabove set forth and as hereinafter claimed.

What is claimed and desired to be secured by letters Patent is:

1. In a printing machine of the character described having means for supporting character type faces within a print bed for reproduction of corresponding character images onto a print receiving medium disposed within and in fixed relation to said print bed, roller means for impressing said print receiving medium against said type faces in said print bed and adapted when rotated to linearly traverse said print bed, means for guiding the linear travel of said roller means when rotated along a plane parallel to the plane of said print bed, means for rotating said roller means, and restraining means for rendering the linear travel of said roller means uniformly unequal in extent to its circumferential rotative movement throughout each traverse thereof across said print bed, whereby the peripheral surface of said roller means is pressed in skidding contact with said print receiving medium when traversing said print bed.

2. The invention according to claim 1 wherein said restraining means includes flexible bands wound about the circumference of said roller means for controlling the extent of linear travel thereof when said roller means is rotated.

3. The invention according to claim 2 wherein said bands are wound upon sections of said roller means having a different diameter from that of the section adapted to contact said print receiving medium.

4. The invention according to claim 3 wherein the band wound sections of said roller means are smaller in diameter than the section adapted to contact said print receiving medium.

5. The invention according to claim 1 wherein said restraining means includes at least one pair of flexible bands wrapped in opposite directions about a circumferential section of said roller means, one end of said bands being secured at opposite sides of said print bed, whereby rotation of said roller means causes a controlled extent of linear travel thereof across said print bed.

6. The invention according to claim 5 wherein the band wound section of said roller means is smaller in diameter than that of the section adapted to contact said print receiving medium.

7. The invention according to claim 1 wherein said type faces includes a group comprising a plurality of embossed lines formed in a card member insertable in one area of said print bed, and a group formed on type heads differentially settable at a print line within another area of said print bed.

8. The invention according to claim 7 wherein said roller means sequentially traverses said areas of the print 9 bed, said roller means being formed with a wide peripheral section spanning said embossed lines of type faces when in register with said card member, said section being partially cut away, to leave a narrow peripheral segment aligning only with said print line when in register with said type heads.

9. The invention according to claim 1 wherein said guiding means comprises a housing formed with slotted openings extending along a plane parallel to the plane of said print bed, said roller means being supported'by bearings slidably fitted to ride in said openings.

10. The invention according to claim 9 wherein'said print bed is containedin a machine section pivotally connected with said roller housing and including adjustably settable latch means securing said housing to said machine section for determining the force with which said roller means presses against the type faces in said print bed.

engagement with detent teeth extending along an edge of said type bars, and lockup means actuated by said top section when swung into closed position for locking said type bars in their set positions, said lockup means including a bail member adapted to bear on said levers to retain the levers in detent engagement with said type bars.

17. The invention according to claim 16 including restoring means actuated by said top section when swung from the closed to open position for releasing said type bars for return to their restored setting.

.18. The invention according to claim 17 wherein said Q restoring means includes a bail member engageable with 11. The invention according to claim 10 wherein said latch means includes hook members pivotally carried by said roller housing and screw members threaded into said m'achine section, said screw members having a conical shaped tip undercut to provide a catch surface for en'- ,a base section, supporting a plurality of type bars differentially settable in printing position within a print bed extending along a surface area of said section, a top section pivotally joined to said base section and swingable from an open to closed position relative to said base section, said top section housing a roller member adapted to traverse said print bed and impress a print receiving medium into printing contact with said type bars when said top section is in the closed position, yieldable means biasing said type bars toward their restored settings, detent means for yieldably retaining said type bars in set positions, and restoring means actuated by said top section when swung from the closed to open position for said detent levers for rendering said levers ineffective.

19. In a printing machine of the character described having means for supporting character type faces within a print bed for reproduction of corresponding character images onto a print receiving medium immovably disposed within said print bed, roller means for impressing said print receiving medium against said type faces in said print bed and adapted whenrotated to linearly traverse said print bed, means for guiding the linear travel releasing said type bars for return to their restored settings.

14. The invention according to claim 13 wherein said restoring means includes a bail member engageable with said detent means for rendering said detent means ineffective.

15. The invention according to claim 14 wherein said bail member is actuated by a pawl moved in response to the swinging action of said top section and effective as said top section swings from the closed to open position for momentarily engaging said bail member to actuate same and render said detent means ineffective.

16. In a printing machine of the class described having a base section supporting a plurality of type bars dilferentially settable in printing position in a print bed extending along a surface area of said section, atop section pivotally joined to said base section and swingable from an open to a closed position relative to said base section, said top section housing a roller member adapted to traverse said print bed and impress a print receiving medium into printing contact with said type bars when said top section is in the closed position, detent means for yieldably retaining said-type bars in set positions and comprising pivotally mounted detent levers spring-biased into of said roller means'when rotated along a plane parallel to the plane of said print bed, means for rotating said roller means, and restraining'means for positively controlling the linear travel of said roller means throughout each traverse thereof across saidprintbed to an extent uniformly unequal to the circumferential rotative movement of said when means, whereby the peripheral surface of said roller means is pressed in skidding contact with said print receiving medium when traversing said print bed.

20. In a printing machine of the character described having means for supporting character type faces Within a print bed for reproduction of corresponding character images onto a print receiving medium immovably disposed within said print bed, roller means for impressing said print receiving medium against said type faces in said print bed and adapted when rotated to linearly traverse said print bed, means for guiding the linear travel of said roller means when rotated along a plane parallel to the plane of said print bed, means for rotating said roller means, and restraining means positively con trolling said roller means for providing throughout each traverse thereof across said print bed a predetermined constant differential between the extent of linear travel of said roller means and the extent of circumferential rotative movement of said roller means, whereby the peripheral surface of said roller means is pressed in skidding contact with said print receiving medium when traversing said print bed.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS EUGENE R. CAPOZIO, Primary Examiner.

ROBERT E. PULFREY, Examiner. 

1. IN A PRINTING MACHINE OF THE CHARACTER DESCRIBED HAVING MEANS FOR SUPPORTING CHARACTER TYPE FACES WITHIN A PRINT BED FOR REPRODUCTION OF CORRESPONDING CHARACTER IMAGES ONTO A PRINT RECEIVING MEDIUM DISPOSED WITHIN AND IN FIXED RELATION TO SAID PRINT BED, ROLLER MEANS FOR IMPRESSING SAID PRINT RECEIVING MEDIUM AGAINST SAID TYPE FACES IN SAID PRINT BED AND ADAPTED WHEN ROTATED TO LINEARLY TRANSVERSE SAID PRINT BED, MEANS FOR GUIDING THE LINEAR TRAVEL OF SAID ROLLER MEANS WHEN ROTATED ALONG A PLANE PARALLEL TO THE PLANE OF SAID PRINT BED, MEANS FOR ROTATING SAID ROLLER MEANS, AND RESTRAINING MEANS FOR RENDERING THE LINEAR TRAVEL OF SAID ROLLER MEANS UNIFORMLY UNEQUAL IN EXTENT TO ITS CIRCUMFERENTIAL ROTATIVE MOVEMENT THROUGHOUT EACH TRAVERSE THEREOF ACROSS SAID PRINT BED, WHEREBY THE PERIPHERAL SURFACE OF SAID ROLLER MEANS IS PRESSED IN SKIDDING CONTACT WITH SAID PRINT RECEIVING MEDIUM WHEN TRAVERSING SAID PRINT BED. 